Paradise on Maalaea Bay
A Blend of Comfort and Luxury
welcome to sugar beach resort
The water is the first thing you hear, and then the only thing you hear. Sugar Beach Resort sits at the quiet north end of Kihei, where three miles of soft golden sand run unbroken toward Maalaea and the West Maui Mountains rise blue across the bay. From the lanai, the morning starts with a walk that has no turnaround point and the afternoon ends with the sun dropping behind Lanai. Humpbacks roll offshore all winter long. Kealia Pond sits just across the road, full of birds most visitors never slow down to see. Everything on this island is within reach from here, and none of it is in a hurry. Set your bags down, step out to the sand, and let the week begin.
Where Aloha Awaits
I manaʻo ʻia no ʻoe
SUGGESTED FOR YOU
Every stay at Sugar Beach Resort is set up to feel like a place you chose rather than a place you settled for. Whether you're here for a long weekend or a few unhurried weeks, we have options that suit the size of your group and the pace of your trip, all with the same ocean views, the same private lanai, and the same three miles of sand waiting at the bottom of the stairs. Take a look at what we have available and find the one that feels right.
Where Memories Begin
Nā mea e hana ai
things to do
North Kihei puts us in the middle of everything without putting us in the middle of anything. Maalaea Harbor and its snorkel boats are five minutes north, Wailea and its reefs are fifteen minutes south, and the whole quiet side of the island sits just up the mountain. Here is what we send our guests out to do.
Molokini Crater Snorkel - Boats leave Maalaea Harbor just five minutes up the road for the sunken volcanic crater with the clearest water in Hawaii, often 100 feet of visibility or more.
Whale Watching from Maalaea Harbor - From December through April we head out into the Auau Channel, the busiest humpback nursery in the Pacific, with naturalists on board to read the behavior.
Turtle Town Snorkel at Maluaka - A short drive south puts us on a reef where green sea turtles graze in the shallows and rest on the sand in numbers that never stop feeling unreal.
Morning Paddleboard on Sugar Beach - The water out front lies down flat before the trades pick up, which makes the first hour of daylight the best paddle on this side of the island.
Surf Lesson at The Cove - Kalama Park's gentle inside break is where most of South Maui learns to stand up, with instructors who have been teaching on that same sandbar for decades.
Kayak the South Kihei Coastline - We launch from the beach and follow the shore past reef and lava, with turtles surfacing alongside and the whole span of Haleakala rising behind us.
Kealia Pond National Wildlife Refuge - Directly across the road from the resort, a boardwalk crosses the wetland where Hawaiian stilts and coots feed in water that turns pink with the salt flats.
Shore Whale Watching from Sugar Beach - Between December and April we do not need a boat. Pull a chair to the sand, watch the horizon, and the breaches come to us.
Sunrise over Haleakala - The mountain catches first light while the beach is still in shadow, and the whole ridgeline turns gold for about ten minutes before the day starts properly.
Kealia Coastal Boardwalk - A short elevated walk over the dunes that doubles as a nesting site for hawksbill turtles and a front-row seat for the bird life along the shoreline.
Tide Pools at Kalepolepo - Low tide opens up shallow rock pools full of small fish, urchins and crabs, which makes this the easiest ocean lesson on the island for young kids.
Sunset at Maalaea Bay - The bay funnels wind and light in equal measure, and on a clear evening the sun slides down between Lanai and Kahoolawe with the whole sky going orange.
Walk the Full Length of Sugar Beach - Three unbroken miles of sand run from our doorstep to Maalaea, the longest stretch of beach on Maui and the best morning walk in South Maui.
North Kihei Coastal Path - A paved path traces the shoreline for easy miles on foot or by bike, with ocean on one side and the wetland preserve on the other.
Hoapili Trail at La Perouse Bay - An ancient Hawaiian footpath crosses Maui's youngest lava flow, rough and sun-exposed and unlike anything else on the island.
Wailea Beach Path - A mile and a half of paved coastal walkway links five Wailea beaches past lava points and resort gardens, and it is the best sunset stroll in South Maui.
Downhill Bike from Haleakala - We ride from the volcano's flank down through Upcountry farmland toward the coast, roughly 20 miles of coasting with the whole isthmus laid out below.
Zipline at Maui Tropical Plantation - Twenty minutes north in Waikapu, lines run over fields and a reservoir with the West Maui Mountains standing straight up behind them.
Koieie Fishpond at Kalepolepo - A Hawaiian fishpond built more than 400 years ago sits five minutes down the road, still standing and still being restored by the community that owns it.
Hawaiian Islands Humpback Whale National Marine Sanctuary - The sanctuary's Kihei visitor center offers free exhibits, a spotting scope on the lawn and staff who will tell you exactly where the whales were this morning.
Bailey House Museum, Wailuku - A missionary-era home turned museum holding one of the best collections of Hawaiian artifacts and monarchy-period paintings on the island.
Iao Valley and Kepaniwai Heritage Gardens - The valley where Kamehameha I won Maui in 1790, with gardens below honoring each of the cultures that came to work these islands.
Maui Nui Botanical Gardens - A living collection of native and Polynesian-introduced plants in Kahului, with cultural workshops in lei making, kapa and weaving throughout the month.
An Evening Luau in Wailea - Twenty minutes south, oceanfront luau grounds pair an imu ceremony and a full Polynesian revue with the sun going down behind the islands.
Ululani's Hawaiian Shave Ice - Fine-shaved ice with house-made syrups from real fruit, and the Kihei location is a short drive from the resort. Ask for snow cap and macadamia nut ice cream.
Kihei Caffe - The breakfast institution of South Maui. Order at the window, find a table on the patio, and plan on loco moco or banana mac nut pancakes.
Coconut's Fish Cafe - Fish tacos built on a base of slaw, cabbage and mango, served fast and casual, and consistently the answer when nobody can agree on lunch.
Tin Roof Maui - Chef Sheldon Simeon's counter in Kahului serves the plate lunch that put Maui on the national food map. Go early, because the good stuff sells out.
Monkeypod Kitchen, Wailea - Farm-sourced plates, a long beer list and the mai tai with honey-lilikoi foam that everyone on the island eventually orders.
Maui Brewing Co. Kihei Tasting Room - Hawaii's largest craft brewery pours its full lineup at the source, with a big open-air room and a menu built around the beer.
Farmers Market Maui, Kihei - Local papaya, apple bananas, tomatoes and flowers a few minutes down S Kihei Rd, open most mornings and the easiest way to stock the condo kitchen.
Kihei Kalama Village - The open-air Triangle of local shops, art stalls, surf gear and food, right in the middle of Kihei's walkable stretch.
The Shops at Wailea - Twenty minutes south, an open-air center pairing island galleries with the high-end labels, plus free Hawaiian cultural programming most weeks.
Maui Swap Meet, Kahului - Saturday mornings at UH Maui College bring hundreds of vendors selling produce, crafts, aloha wear and antiques for the price of a couple of dollars at the gate.
Makawao Town - Upcountry paniolo town turned artist colony, with galleries, a glassblowing studio and boutiques lining a two-block main street.
Azeka Shopping Center - Kihei's practical stop for groceries, beach gear, coffee and a hardware store, all in one place ten minutes from the resort.
Where the sky meets the sea
Alakaʻi Kahakai
beach guide
South Maui has the calmest, sunniest water on the island, and it changes character every few minutes down the coast. Sugar Beach is built for walking, the Kamaole parks are built for a whole afternoon, and Wailea holds the reef. Start at our doorstep and work your way south.
Sugar Beach
Best For: long walks, whale watching, sunsets
Three unbroken miles of golden sand run north toward Maalaea with the West Maui Mountains standing across the bay the whole way.
Kalepolepo Beach Park
Best For: families, calm shallows, Hawaiian history
Small and protected, with a 400-year-old Hawaiian fishpond wall holding back the surf and shallow water that suits the youngest swimmers.
Charley Young Beach
Best for: soft sand, quiet mornings, easy swimming
A residential pocket at the north end of Kamaole I, reached by a stairway most visitors walk right past, with the softest sand in Kihei.
Kamaole Beach Park III
Best for: families, lifeguards, bodyboarding, picnic
Grassy lawn, showers, lifeguards and a gentle shore break make this the all-afternoon beach, and the sunsets from the lava point are worth staying for.
Keawakapu Beach
Best for: swimming, snorkeling, sunset
Three-quarters of a mile of fine sand between Kihei and Wailea, with clean water for swimming and reef at both ends for an easy snorkel.
Ulua Beach
Best for: snorkeling, beginners, calm water
Wailea's most protected cove, where a lava point holds back the swell and the reef sits close enough in for first-time snorkelers to reach comfortably.
Where Paths Unfold
Nā Huakaʻi o ka Lā
Day TripS
Sugar Beach Resort puts you at the hinge of the island. North Kihei sits where the two volcanoes meet, which means every version of Maui is a single drive from the lanai: the working harbor at Maalaea, the ancient valley at Iao, the crater rim at 10,000 feet, the ranch country and art towns Upcountry, and the rainforest coast out past Hana. These are the day trips worth building a morning around, all within comfortable driving distance.
Maalaea Harbor
Maui Ocean Center
7 min / Half day
The island's aquarium and its busiest harbor sit five minutes up the road, with a living reef exhibit, a turtle lagoon and boats leaving all morning for Molokini.
Iao Valley
Wailuku
25 min / Half day
A green cathedral of a valley with the Iao Needle rising 1,200 feet from the floor, paired with old Wailuku town's museums, murals and lunch counters.
Haleakala Summit
National Park
100 min / Half to full day
The drive climbs 10,000 feet in under two hours to a crater rim that looks like another planet, with cinder cones, silverswords and the whole island below.
Upcountry
Makawao & Kula
45 min / Half day
Cool green ranch country on Haleakala's slopes, with a lavender farm, a winery at Ulupalakua and a paniolo town full of galleries and a famous cream puff.
Paia
North Shore
40 min / Half day
A surf town of two-story wooden storefronts and good food, with Hookipa Beach just past it where windsurfers and sea turtles share the same stretch of sand.
The Road to Hana
west maui
150 mins / Full day
620 curves and 59 bridges through rainforest, waterfalls and black sand, and the drive itself is the point rather than the town at the end of it.
Where Curiosity Rests
Nā Nīnau Pinepine
Frequently Asked Questions
When is the best time to visit?
Honestly? Now!
South Maui sits in Haleakala's rain shadow, which means we get sun and warm water nearly every day of the year. Winter, December through April, brings the humpbacks so close you can watch them from the lanai. Spring and fall give you the same weather with thinner crowds and better rates. Summer runs hottest and driest, and the ocean is at its calmest.
Do I need a rental car?
Yes. Kihei has a walkable stretch of shops and restaurants, but we sit at the quiet north end of it, and Maui's best days are spread across the whole island. Haleakala, Hana, Iao Valley and Upcountry are all drives. Book the car when you book the condo, because Maui inventory gets tight and prices climb late.
What should I know before arriving?
A few things make the first day easier. Grocery shop on the way in, since Kihei's markets are closer than Kahului's and the condo kitchen saves real money. Bring reef-safe sunscreen, because mineral-only is the law here and the shops know it. The sun is stronger than it feels with the trades blowing, so plan the beach around morning and late afternoon. If Haleakala sunrise is on your list, reserve it through recreation.gov well ahead, and if you are driving to Hana, reserve Waianapanapa State Park in advance too. Pack a light layer for the summit or for Upcountry evenings, which run 20 to 30 degrees cooler than the beach.
What are the snorkeling conditions like?
Very good, and they improve the further south you go. The water directly in front of Sugar Beach is sandy bottom, which makes it better for swimming and paddling than for reef. Drive ten to twenty minutes and you reach the good stuff: Ulua and Wailea Beach for calm, close-in reef, Keawakapu's rocky ends, and Maluaka for turtles. Molokini is the one worth booking a boat for, and those trips leave from Maalaea just up the road. Go in the morning before the trade winds pick up, which is true everywhere on this coast.
What should we absolutely not miss?
Walk the full length of Sugar Beach at sunrise at least once, all the way toward Maalaea with the mountains lighting up ahead of you. Get out on the water, whether that is Molokini in summer or whales in winter. Drive Upcountry for an afternoon to see the other Maui, the cool green ranch one. And save one evening for nothing at all, on the lanai, watching the sun go down behind Lanai. That is the part people remember.
Makaukau e ʻIke i
Ready to Experience Sugar Beach?